With the objective to increasing its solar power consumption and thereby reducing its dependence on conventional power, the Coimbatore Corporation on Saturday commissioned solar panels at its main office, a few health establishments and also schools.
A release from the civic body said that at the main office, the civic body had installed solar panels at Rs. 61 lakh to generate 50 kw power. The civic body would be able to draw 250 unit power a day resulting in savings of Rs. 1,998 a day.
For a year, it worked out to 90,000 units and a savings of Rs. 10.80 lakh. At this rate, it would be able to recover the investment in six years.
The release said that the Corporation would also be able to save on power by selling surplus power to the Tangedco. After some number-crunching exercise, the civic body had said that it would be able to sell 51,000 units to the Tangedco and save Rs. 4.07 lakh.
The Corporation had this new solar plant commissioned by Minister for Municipal Administration and Water Supply S.P. Velumani. Commissioner G. Latha, Mayor in-charge Leelavathi Unni, Deputy Commissioner S. Sivarasu and Members of the Legislative Assembly T. Malaravan, R. Doraisamy and V.C. Aarukutty were present.
The Corporation also commissioned solar power plants at six of its urban health centres with each costing at Rs. 9.70 lakh.
Each of those plants would generate between 35 – 40 units a day resulting in the Corporation saving Rs. 299.61 a day.
ProjectThe civic body officials said that the installation of solar panels was part of the solar mission city objective. Coimbatore is one of the Solar Mission Cities in the country. The objective of the project was to increase reliance on solar power.
Only recently did the Corporation install solar power plants on its five zonal offices under the same solar mission city project.
